RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil- Even though they did not achieve the desired results, Sgts. 1st Class Glenn Eller and Josh Richmond of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU), view their performance during the Men's Double Trap event, Aug. 10, at the Rio 2016 Olympics through an optimistic lens.
"It was a positive experience," said Richmond. "I take away a lot of good things out of this match and I am going to work on them once I get back."
Richmond, a Hillsgrove, Pennsylvania native, finished in 7th place after a shoot off to break a tie for 6th place and a slot in the semifinals.
"In London I finished in 16th place," he said. "Here I finished in 7th place. It is not what I wanted, but anytime I am progressing is a great day. In that sense I consider this as a win."
Meanwhile, Eller conceded that the rainy and cloudy weather conditions during the event may have impacted his performance.
"I dug deep and went through everything I know," Eller said. "I was able to correct my performance towards the end. Unfortunately, it was too late by then."
In 2012 Eller, a Katy, Texas native, finished in 22nd place at the London Olympics. In Rio he finished in 14th place.
For Sgt. 1st Class Jason Parker, USAMU shooting coach, Eller and Richmond did exactly what they trained for.
"As Soldiers we need to be able to face adversity and do our best always, even when the conditions may not be ideal," Parker said. "And that is what they did today. They applied their training. I am proud of their performance."
Both Soldiers are now focused on the future.
"I will forget my first hundred rounds I shot here today and focus on the last fifty, which were great," Eller said. "I am looking forward to Tokyo," in reference to the 2020 Olympic games.
Richmond plans to make the most out of the opportunities the Army and the Army Marksmanship Unit afford him to improve his chances for future Olympics.
"I would not be standing here today without the Army," he said. "The Army values, the leadership, everything is a blessing. The results are not what I wanted but I will be back for sure."
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